To celebrate National Inventors Month, Alexis Hopper put together a blog post highlighting 优蜜视频 Student Inventions through The Process of Inventing.

听鈥淎n invention has to make sense in the world it finishes in, not in the world it started.鈥� 鈥擳ime O鈥橰eilly

In 1998, the Academy of Applied Science, United Inventors Association of America, and Inventors鈥� Digest magazine came together to bring us National Inventors Month. 鈥淲e want to recognize those talented, brave individuals who dare to be blatantly creative, and therefore different, and whose accomplishments affect every facet of our lives,鈥� said the editor of Inventors鈥� Digest, Joanne Hayes-Rines.

Whether advancing the fields of science, technology, arts, or humanities, human ingenuity is fueled by the spark of genius, as well as these other key drivers. Check out examples of our own student inventors鈥� projects and how they each illustrate a different aspect of the inventing process.

1. CURIOSITY

Students in Cells: Under the Microscope practice how to use a compound microscope properly to identify structures that relate to functions of a cell.

2. INNOVATION

Shark Tank: Products and Pitches student Gabe shares his prototype for a customizable card game with a panel of 鈥淪harks鈥�.

3. PURPOSE

Students Dante and Mateo put the finishing touches on their robotic arm in Advanced Arduino Projects.

4. DESIGN

Student drawings from Math for Future Architects using Cartesian Plane and Plotting Coordinates.

5. CREATION

Students in Creative Writing: The Next Chapter work on their final draft and book cover designs.

6. EXPERIMENTATION

Kitchen Chemistry students Eli and George dig their hands into quasi-solid states of matter.

7. DOCUMENTATION

Rube Goldberg students Amalia and William document their findings on how to optimize a pulley system.

8. COLLABORATION

What鈥檚 Your Strategy: Board Game Design students share their final projects.

9. VISION

Zoo Design student, Kai, with his model for a habitable enclosure for the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach.

Ways to Celebrate National Inventors Month

1. Take a moment to learn more about the inventions that have improved your life. Do you wear glasses or contacts? Do you drink filtered water? Do ride a bicycle, skateboard or wear Heel Wheels? Find newfound appreciation for the inventions in your life by researching the who, what and when that made them a reality.
2. Advocate for inventors by joining the community. Check out these sites from the makers of National Inventors Month:

• Academy of Applied Science

3. Listen to your inner inventor! Don鈥檛 brush aside ideas that strike you at the moment. It鈥檚 inspiration calling.

优蜜视频 Summer Academy is still open for applicants. to learn more about our summer sessions.

Going into high school, I was dead set on becoming an engineer. Although art was one of my passions, I never really realized what value my art skills held and what I could potentially use it for on a professional level. However, my perspective on creative careers and my future plans changed when I attended the Institute for Educational Advancement鈥檚 at , under the mentorship of Professor Stan Kong.

I applied for the product design site of this program. The funny thing is, though, was that I didn鈥檛 know what product design was at all – or the essence of design. I just knew that the program would teach basic sketching and rendering skills as the description mentioned, which was enough to pique my interest. Despite this, I ended up learning so much more.

In the first week at ArtCenter, I learned about the product design industry, the design process and business-oriented techniques and experiences. I was surprised to discover how diverse, versatile and vast product design is as a field, in addition to how the design process resembled the scientific method; it begins with a prompt, followed by research, reformulation of prompt or objective, and a cycling between ideation, development and testing until, finally, production.

One of the biggest things I took away from the first week was how to work and thrive in a company. Communication, collaboration, understanding 鈥� these are all important to obtaining success in the industry. And I know because we actually did a project that resembled the experience of working in a company in which we had to work with others to create a flashlight design that satisfied the needs of a particular consumer. In teams, we interviewed our client, researched materials and resources, elaborated on different ideas and pitched our design. Being familiar with your client, demographic, competitors and the market place was the key to success. For me it was challenging to manage so many ideas in a group, to eliminate what was impractical and to agree on a particular vision. It鈥檚 through this first-hand experience, though, that I learned how work with others better, whether it was in EXPLORE or outside of it.

In the following weeks, we worked on more collaborative projects, like designing lunchboxes and water bottles, and we all improved in communicating and understanding. We learned more about the industry, like branding and advertising. However, we also learned about ArtCenter itself by exploring all their offered majors and what it felt like to be a college student.

The whole experience was so fun, stimulating, and enriching in that I not only learned, but experienced the product design process, business and marketing and ArtCenter. And it was so much better that I experienced this with peers who were funny, talented, and ambitious; I鈥檒l remember all the laughs and the trip on the ArtCenter shuttle where we played games the entire way back. I also had the pleasure of being taught skills and life lessons from Stan鈥檚 personal experiences that I鈥檒l take with me in the future.

Because I joined the 优蜜视频 EXPLORE Externship at ArtCenter, I鈥檝e become a better collaborator, presenter, artist and life-long learner. I plan to study and pursue product, industrial or interactive design in the future. In fact, I hope to be admitted to one of the several colleges to which I applied to study both engineering and design, two passions I鈥檝e learned were anything but exclusive. For now, I鈥檒l be attending , a program that EXPLORE introduced me to.

I hope that my experience encourages others to explore their interests or overlooked passions to discover what the world has to offer 鈥� and what they can offer to the world.

Want to experience a hands-on externship under the guidance of an experienced mentor this summer? ! Applications for the 2019 program are due April 9, 2019.

鈥淚sn’t it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive鈥︹�� L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

There are many ways to explore and learn new things. One wonderful medium is the podcast. A podcast is an episodic audio program available via the internet. There are many incredible podcasts out there with themes ranging from science, to current events. Some notable programs you are likely to have heard of are This American Life, Radio Lab, and Serial. This week, I would like to share a few podcasts that I think are great for the gifted learner. Please note that, while I have provided a link to each show鈥檚 website, you should also be able to find each podcast for free on iTunes.

Get your daily dose of podcast with these tiny scientific expositions that manage to squeeze anecdotes, interviews, and a satisfying amount of information into two minute episodes. Episodes focus largely on biological topics about plants and animals, with occasional episodes rooted in other sciences such as 鈥淚s Mars Missing a Moon?鈥� 2-3 min

Aaron鈥檚 World is a very cute 鈥渁dventure鈥� podcast from the imagination of a little boy. Although the narrative structure does not really take off until episode six, each episode features a different dinosaur and some context about its听environment. To get context for the whole story it is best to start from the beginning. 2-3 min

A science show for kids, Brains On strives to be engaging and educational. The show is very kid-centric, which is great; however, I do feel that it at times lacks substantial content. Nonetheless, for a younger gifted learner, it may provide them with a space where curiosity is encouraged and celebrated. 30 min

There are 18 episodes of Kids Who Code. Knowing little about the world of coding, some of the concepts went over my head, making it more difficult to evaluate. However, I was so happy to come across a podcast for kids with this topic that I had to include it. 25 min

Physics Central is rich in content and well produced.听 The structure of the show follows a typical radio-story-telling format in that there is a narrator providing context for comments from scientists and researchers in the physics world on a given topic. This is an excellent podcast for kids who have a big appetite for science. 25 min

I like this show because it鈥檚 unique. Short and Curly is a podcast about ethics. The two Australian hosts ask questions like: 鈥淐an you trust a robot?鈥� 鈥淪hould you eat your pet?鈥澨� 鈥淚s Dumbledore as great as he seems?鈥� At times the level of reasoning may feel simple to a gifted child, but they do a good job of asking questions that do not have straight answers and therefore are capable of engaging a broad audience of listeners. Kids are encouraged to call in or e-mail, which I like. 20-25 min

Below are a few podcasts that would be well-suited to family listening, or teens due to mature content.

99% Invisible is a podcast about architecture and design. The show explores the power of architecture and the way spaces influence our lives. It is beautifully done and brings new meaning to the environments we spend our lives within. This podcast is produced by Roman Mars, whose Ted Talk on design has over 3 million views.听 25 min

FW: Thinking looks into the future of 鈥渢echnology, humanity, and the future.鈥� This podcast covers a wonderful variety of topics and entertains possible outcomes to the way the world is changing. In addition, its听website hosts a large library of videos I did not look into myself, but appear very interesting. 45 min

Invisibilia weaves together scientific concepts, input from experts, and the stories of everyday people to explore 鈥渢he invisible forces that control human behavior.鈥� This show has a tendency to explore some intense human experiences, and thus can be heavy listening for the more empathetic and sensitive among us. 60-70 min

Radio Lab is a downright amazing podcast. Not only is it a wonderful sensory experience but the content is rich, complex, surprising, humorous, and moving. Its听“About” page says it best:听 鈥淩adiolab is a show about curiosity. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and human experience.鈥� 40 min

The Memory Palace is a historical story telling podcast wherein the narrator explores a place, person, or event and tells a story you probably have not heard before. For such a short show, it leaves a strong impression. 10 min

Other Suggestions: , ,

Please note that I have not listened through every episode of each program. I would recommend that parents look into each podcast before permitting children to listen alone.

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Morgan received a B.F.A in Studio Art from Biola University. She is an interdisciplinary artist committed to cultivating a rich awareness and engagement with the world around her. Morgan is passionate about education and deeply admires 优蜜视频鈥檚 commitment to developing the whole person. Over the past five years, Morgan has worked in a number of different educational and administrative roles. Prior to coming to 优蜜视频 she served as a school group docent for The Getty Center and a nanny to a family with a gifted child. She is exceedingly grateful for the opportunity to work alongside such lovely people and to further 优蜜视频鈥檚 meaningful mission.

鈥淚 am happy to be in a room of too鈥檚,鈥� said Betsy Jones, 优蜜视频 President, as we concluded 优蜜视频’s Summer Spotlight this year. 鈥淲e are all too鈥檚 鈥� too emotional, too smart, too intense鈥�.鈥�

Tuesday, June 8, was a bright evening of community, learning, and friendship as 优蜜视频 and its community gathered at the University of Southern California for dinner and a time of sharing. Eight 优蜜视频 Apprentices, who studied Industrial Design under Stan Kong at Art Center College of Design, displayed their impressive concept design sketches 鈥� pieces of art that would later become final projects. Posters, books, and sculptures created by Academy students, Caroline D. Bradley Scholars, and Yunasa campers were also scattered about USC鈥檚 Vineyard Room, along with plenty of photos of Academy kids at The Huntington Library, Art Collection, and Botanical Gardens; Yunasa West campers frolicking in Colorado; and CDB Scholars who convened for the Bradley Seminar in April.

After dinner, 优蜜视频鈥檚 Program Coordinators introduced speakers from each of 优蜜视频’s programs. Min-Ling Li, the valiant leader of 29 Apprentices, began by announcing both Alex T., who is studying shock waves with Dr. Eliasson at USC, and Robert, an Industrial Design Apprentice.

Alex鈥檚 speech was an expounded acrostic he created from the letters of 优蜜视频: I 鈥撯�淚 am Alex,鈥� he began. This is Alex鈥檚 second year as an 优蜜视频 Apprentice, and he thanked the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship program for introducing him to an opportunity that would change his life. 鈥淥nce you are a part of 优蜜视频, you support it, and it supports you,鈥� he said. E 鈥� 鈥淓ager. That is what the students here are,鈥� Alex continued. Finally, A 鈥� 鈥淎pprentice…we are all Apprentices, because every day we learn something new. One thing I learned while I was here is of all the gifted children being overlooked by teachers. 优蜜视频 works to find them and help them come to terms with their giftedness鈥nstitute for Educational Advancement: intelligent, eager, able,鈥� he concluded.

Robert, who came to the Los Angeles-based Apprenticeship Program all the way from Miami, is a first-year Apprentice who described his experience as a time of extremely hard work and the unbelievable opportunity to 鈥渟tudy at a school he hopes to get into in a field he hopes to make a career out of.鈥�

One of 优蜜视频鈥檚 earliest Caroline D. Bradley Scholars, Ryan, spoke next: 鈥淚t鈥檚 much more than a monetary gift 鈥� it鈥檚 a community,鈥� he said of CDB. According to Ryan, CDB helped him develop the confidence to be whatever it is he wanted to be. When it was time to apply for college, the CDB coordinator helped him apply. Ryan opted for Harvard, where he began by pursuing an education in engineering, ended up in neuroscience, found himself in musical theater, and finished his degree in creative arts. Now Ryan produces movies 鈥� Lego movies, of late.

, stood upon a chair to reach the microphone and talked about how, in the past year at 优蜜视频, he has taken a Shakespeare class from a professional actor, advanced his math skills with a teacher who made it fun, made his first short film, painted himself blue using ice and an infrared camera in his first Physics class, and was introduced to the Spanish language for the first time. 鈥淚f that wasn鈥檛 enough,鈥� he said, 鈥溣琶凼悠� has given me this opportunity in public speaking!鈥�

Finally, 10-year-old Alexander A., who also stood on a chair to speak, described Yunasa as a place where he is able to be himself, a place where he feels loved and accepted by all the people around him. At Yunasa and Yunasa West, Alexander has learned practical ways to help him calm down when he feels tense and emotional. He talked about Senior Fellows Patricia Gatto Walden, Ph.D., and Michael Piechowski, Ph.D., who have given him hugs and engaged him in conversations about deep and interesting things. Alexander鈥檚 favorite Yunasa activity is the low ropes course because, he said, 鈥測ou get to work as a team to get through obstacles.鈥�

When the young brilliant pundits of 优蜜视频 finished their enlightening speeches, Betsy Jones told a story of a girl she met at Yunasa West this year. This young lady explained to Betsy that when she feels sad, she spends time with her 鈥淭oo People.鈥� She has always been told that she is 鈥渢oo intense, too distracted, too talkative, too quiet, too much,鈥� so her stuffed animals became a family of 鈥渢oo鈥檚鈥� who provide a safe place where she can exist without feeling chastised. 优蜜视频 has been around for 16 years, and it is still one of the only organizations in the world where, as Betsy said, these young brilliant individuals 鈥渃an grow and learn and be and do whatever it is they want to do.鈥�

Summer Spotlight was an evening of illumination 鈥� a light shone upon a community of 鈥渢oo鈥檚鈥� and the programs that help them to grow, succeed, learn, and feel safe to be themselves.

Take a look at more photos from Summer Spotlight 2014!

Are you interested in learning more about 优蜜视频 programs and our impact? Sign up for our email newsletter, which provides regular updates on the work we do as well as resources on giftedness.

Every gifted person has a unique story. The following story is part of a series of posts depicting the many faces of gifted by highlighting gifted children and adults we have found through 优蜜视频 programs. 优蜜视频鈥檚 鈥� mentioned in this story 鈥� links gifted high school students from across the country with mentors who advance each participant鈥檚 skills through the application of knowledge and exposure to real world experiences.

Thomas Zenteno
2008 Industrial Design Apprentice at Art Center College of Design
Current Student at Art Center College of Design

Thomas Zenteno grew up in Miami, Florida, and came to Pasadena, California, in the summer of 2008 to participate in the 优蜜视频 Apprenticeship Program at Art Center College of Design. I talked to him about his experience.

鈥淚 started the 优蜜视频 program when I was 17, in the summer between my junior and senior year of high school. I was lucky enough to attend a visual arts magnet high school called Design and Architecture Senior High (DASH), where I was able to study Industrial Design as a focus. My teacher, Ms. Kwiatkowksi, selected myself and three other students from her program to participate in the 优蜜视频 program that helped shape all of us as friends and designers.鈥�

Even in Florida, Thomas was familiar with the reputation of the Pasadena-based college. 鈥淚 had met students who had gone to the 优蜜视频 program in previous years, and all of them came back with exceptional work and much more knowledge both in design and in life experiences. I also knew of the prestigious name Art Center had in the design world and a lot of my favorite product, transportation and entertainment designers graduated from Art Center. I remember Art Center sending a promotional book about the different majors of the school to DASH, and I would spend hours reading through the descriptions of students and looking at the quality of work in those pages, which was key in inspiring me to go to Art Center above any other design or art school.鈥�

When I asked Thomas what he did as an Apprentice, he said, 鈥淪tan Kong, my Mentor for the program, had a small class of nine students, and together we were able to work on both personal and class projects. We learned a lot about design thinking and how we could use product design to help improve lives around the world. The class was treated as a studio atmosphere where we would learn from Stan or our T.A.鈥檚 K.C. Cho and Wayne Johnson. Afterwards, we would be given an assignment to practice in class as well as homework to bring in the following day. We would pin the work up on the walls and critique projects one by one. Our projects ranged from alarm clocks to devices that safely relocated bats form one area of a city to another. For final presentations, we were required to make a physical model of our design. We learned a lot about time management, discipline and work ethics that I鈥檝e carried with me at Art Center as a student and into my professional practice working as a freelance concept artist.鈥�

Although Thomas studied industrial design in high school, the Apprenticeship Program provided a positive challenge for him. 鈥淚 believe one of the biggest challenges was to produce the amount of work we were required as well as back up our designs with good research and thinking. Although it was stressful, and many nights I would stay up late working, it was well worth the amount of learning I gained in just three short weeks. The mileage and knowledge I gained gave me a great foundation to start my portfolio to get into Art Center and truly opened up a lot of doors for me.鈥�

Thomas said there was a big change in himself going from that summer experience back to high school. 鈥淚t was my first time really being away from home, and you could definitely see a change in my drive and direction to focus even more during my senior year at DASH. Many of my friends and classmates got 鈥渟enioritis,鈥� where they slacked off for their last year of high school, while the four of us who went to the 优蜜视频 program continued to push ourselves to be the best in our class. As a result, we received some of the highest scholarships in our class. Two of us went to Art Center College of Design, while the remaining two went to College for Creative Studies (CCS). I credit a lot of my work ethic to the 优蜜视频 program.鈥�

Thomas is currently majoring in Entertainment Design at Art Center. 鈥淚 chose Entertainment Design because it blends a few of my favorite sensibilities in design and art. At DASH, my foundation was in product and transportation design, but I had a great love for figure drawing and painting as well. Entertainment Design allows me to blend all of those sensibilities– characters, environments, vehicles and props for films, video games, animation and theme parks. I try to be as well-rounded as I can, so Entertainment Design seemed to be very fitting since it has a very broad range of applications. Looking back, though, at the root of it all is the fact that Entertainment Design is all about storytelling, and I think that鈥檚 what attracted me to it.鈥�

What are Thomas鈥� future plans? 鈥淚鈥檓 still really young, so there a lot of different ways my life could go. I鈥檝e been freelancing as a Concept Designer since 2010, and I really enjoy working on multiple projects from film to animation. I鈥檝e had a handful of notable clients from Bad Robot to an aerospace corporation, and interning at Warner Bros. was an enlightening experience. I would love to work on films and games for much of my life, but in the end, I would really like to give back by teaching and helping the world out in some small way.鈥�

Thomas is still in touch with some of the other kids who were part of his program. 鈥淎 few of my fellow Apprentices are peers of mine at Art Center as well as others who have gone to other schools. I meet up with them in my hometown of Miami, Florida, occasionally. A lot of the Apprentices are currently in colleges spread out around the country, but quite a few are in Pasadena at Caltech or Art Center. The ones I鈥檝e kept closest contact with are definitely lifelong friends, and we鈥檒l find ourselves at dinner parties or just having a good time out hiking.鈥�

Thomas really benefitted from his time as an Apprentice. 鈥淚t鈥檚 easily a pivotal moment in my life, and I think it really can open up a high school student鈥檚 perspective. It鈥檚 extremely fun to engage in all the different activities that 优蜜视频 provides, as well as the more work-focused part of it. I think you always get what you put into it, and in the case of 优蜜视频, it鈥檚 given me a sort of second family that was crucial to me moving out here from Florida when I was 18. 优蜜视频 truly inspired me to be a better person, and I met a lot of friends I never would have had otherwise; all in all I鈥檓 pretty happy because of it.鈥�

Natalie, a 2012 优蜜视频 Industrial Design Apprentice at the Art Center College of Design,听originally gave this speech at 优蜜视频鈥檚 2012 Open House. 优蜜视频鈥檚 鈥� mentioned in this story 鈥� links gifted high school students from across the country with mentors who advance each participant鈥檚 skills through the application of knowledge and exposure to real world experiences.

Paola Antonelli,听 a Senior Curator at the听Museum听of Modern Art听and one of the most powerful people in the world of art, once said:

“People think that design is styling. Design is not style. It鈥檚 not about giving shape to the shell and not about [caring] about the guts. Good design is a renaissance attitude that combines technology, cognitive science, human need, and beauty to produce something that the world didn鈥檛 know it was missing.”

My name is Natalie, and I am an industrial designer. Through the Institute for Educational Advancement, I have finally become comfortable with giving myself that title and feel that I have learned valuable skills that set the foundation for that title. As industrial designers, we are compelled to design responsibly, provide the creative solutions necessary to respond to our society鈥檚 needs, and serve as artistic leaders that will push our community into the future. Design is not just about the beautiful sketches and the amazing renderings; it鈥檚 about the concept, the question, and our experiences. Everything we interact with, everything we use 鈥� from the chair you are sitting on, to the tables you are sitting at, to the utensils you have used 鈥� is created by industrial designers.

Our group here at 优蜜视频 has the tools, skills, and dedication to truly make a difference, and in essence, isn鈥檛 that what design is all about? We have the power to respond and to change our world. We have the ability to design the next 鈥渃oolest car鈥� or 鈥渁wesome cell phone,鈥� but what is that worth? That is the question that this program has taught me to reevaluate; that as leaders, we can move so far beyond those limitations. We can give back to our community by thinking outside of the box and not just by being industrial designers, but gifted design revolutionaries.

Through my Apprenticeship, I have realized all these key concepts about design. But I am not just grateful for that. I鈥檓 also grateful for the personal life lessons it has taught me. Our leadership foundation activities have given me the courage to ask myself questions that I had previously stored away. I was given the tools to set my priorities straight and realize what I need to do in order to achieve my dreams, as well as the socials skills necessary to respect myself and the people around me.

From physics to astronomy to design, and everything in between, we have learned so much about our fellow peers, mentors, and caring staff 鈥� lessons that I am sure we will all carry into the next chapter of our journey. All in all, the 优蜜视频 Apprenticeship at Art Center has been one of the greatest programs we have had the honor of attending.

What is the most valuable听lesson your child learned this summer? Please share with us in the comment section below.

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